Frequently Asked Questions

Your application expires one year from the date your application was submitted.

Applications and fees may be submitted by mail to:

Department of Health
Board of Massage Therapy
P.O. Box 6330
Tallahassee, FL 32314-6330

If you are submitting a fee payment for an application separate from the application, be sure to include the name the application was submitted under and the file number associated with the application.

Yes. Massage therapists must be background screened pursuant to 480.041(3), Florida Statutes. Massage establishment owners must be background screened pursuant to 480.043(2), Florida Statutes.

New massage establishment inspections generally occur shortly after all supporting documents are received. An inspector in your region will contact you directly at the phone number provided on your application to schedule your inspection.

INACTIVE status can be elected by a licensee who is not practicing in the state of Florida who wishes to maintain their license each renewal. Generally, this status is elected by licensees when they intend to return to practice in Florida, but cannot (or do not wish to) complete Continuing Education required for renewal. Facilities cannot elect INACTIVE status.

Licenses in INACTIVE status can be reactivated. A practitioner who has elected INACTIVE status is not authorized to practice in the state of Florida.

Yes. You may request a change to inactive status at any time. See our “How do I…?” for additional information.

Yes. You may request a change to inactive status at any time. See our “How do I…?” for additional information.

No. Massage establishment licenses cannot be placed in retired status.

A license in DELINQUENT status indicates that a licensee who held a CLEAR, ACTIVE or CLEAR, INACTIVE license failed to renew their license before it expired. The licensee is not authorized to practice in the state of Florida.

No. You cannot practice on a DELINQUENT license.

Yes, in most cases. If there is no pending disciplinary action against the license, it can be voluntarily relinquished at any time. See our “How do I…?” for additional information.

Once a license has been voluntarily relinquished, it cannot be reinstated. A license that has been voluntarily relinquished does not authorize the former licensee to practice.

RETIRED status is a license status that can be elected by a licensee when they are not practicing in the state of Florida if they want to maintain their license in the event they might return to their profession by coming out of retirement. A licensee who has elected RETIRED is not authorized to practice in the state of Florida.